USA > California > Amador County > History of Amador County, California, with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 18
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" Those who have studied phlebotomy think they can distinguish the bites of the different denomina- tions. There is the flea of the gushing Methodist, that is gentle and affectionate; of the iron-bound Presbyterian, that bounces you like a bull-dog ; but for downright, hard work, take the flea of the hard- shell Baptist. Raised amidst difficulties, like the Scotchman among his crags, and the New Englander among the granite boulders, he is fitted for every possible emergency in a race for life. None but the
hardiest survive, which proves Darwin's theory of the survival of the fittest.
" The fleas are not without their benefits, however. Half of the success of our business men is supposed to be due to the irritation of the fleas, who never let them rest, day nor night. And then-now housekeeper listen-no bed-bugs ean live where such a raee of fleas has taken the land. To use the words of a noted housekeeper, "the fleas eat 'em up." Not a bed-bug is known in all Oakland. What a blessing these fleas would be in our interior towns, whore the bed-bugs have had possession for a quarter of a century. How the sangrados would riot in blood ! What consternation among the respectable, alder- manic old bugs, as the bloodthirsty flea, his jaws reeking with gore, dashed in among them ! The irruption of the hordes of Alaric into Rome, or the contemplated raid of Kearney's hoodlums into China- town, could not compare with it.
"If our country neighbors want some of these fleas, I think the Oaklanders would be willing to spare them. Though usually anxious to drive a good bar- gain, in the sale of fleas they would be generous. They will help you catch them. You have only to sleep a night or two in the churches, and you will have enough. Negotiations may be opened with our Mayor or any of the city officers."
RATS AND OTHER VERMIN.
Rats have been mentioned as coming in with the fleas. The mild climate, exposed condition of eat- ables, and absence of cats and dogs, the natural enemies of rats, caused them to multiply with extraor- dinary rapidity. They were as much at home in the country as in the town, and a miner, camping in the hills away from the town, soon received visits from the rats, who thenceforth managed to have a share of all he brought into his camp. After he had retired to his blankets, the rats in troops would run over his body, making it the jumping-off place in their playful gambols. They left their tracks on his butter, gnawed holes into his flour-sack, daneed cotillions on his table, and kicked up a fuss generally. Nothing but boxes of tin or heavy lumber would keep them from eating, destroying, or dirtying every article of food around the eabin. It will be borne in mind that the houses or cabins were made of logs daubed with mud, without floors or windows, and were accessible to all kinds of vermin, as well as rats. Rattlesnakes sometimes crawlcd into the interstices of the logs, and first made their presence known by the sharp rattle or perhaps the deadly thrust of their poisonous fangs into the sleeper's limbs. A young man living on the Slate-creek side of American hill, near Oleta, was bitten in this way without any warning on the part of the snake. He felt the sting, felt the deadly paralysis coming over him, and, in company with two or three companions, started for town, but sunk helplessly to the ground before getting there, dying shortly after. The fol- lowing morning an examination of the bed revealed the presence of a young and vigorous rattlesnake, three fect or more in length. A Frenchman in the vicinity, was bitten about the same way, though he was living alone and was unable to reach the town,
76
HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
perishing on the way, being found in the trail some days afterwards without any visible wound. A rattlesnake, dead on the floor of his cabin, indicated the cause of his death. The long, yellow chicken snake would sometimes crawl into the cabin and create consternation among the rats and lizards, as well as among the miners. As the miners got to building their cabins of sawed lumber and elevating them above the ground, snakes, rats, mice, and skunks, became less frequent visitors. When dogs and cats were called in as friends and protectors, men, and women as well, could sleep without fear of disturbance. Since skunks have been mentioned, the reader may feel an interest in the adventures of a young and romantic miner with an animal of this kind, which, possibly, exerted a great influence in shaping his destiny :---
"I had been mining on the South fork, in the Summer of '52, and came down to Dry creek in the Fall, a little the worst-busted individual you ever saw. Save some old, worn-out shovels and picks, I had nothing, not even a decent pair of pants. About that time two or three families had settled on Dead Man's creek, a little above my camp. I had seen a slender, willowy form flitting in and out of a cabin, and all the powers of my imagination were sum- moned to deseribe her charms. 'Young and fair with bright golden hair,' was not then written, but I thought it though, as well as many other fine things, and spent some days in composing compli- ments to her musical ability, sweet voice, beautiful eyes, mouth, teeth, feet, ' and all that sort of thing.' I worked like a Trojan ' panning-out,' to get money enough to buy raiment fit to appear in her presence. At length, one Saturday evening, the task was per- formed, and I hung the suit up by my bed and slept-fondly dreaming-etc. I was awakened in the night by a seratching on the logs above my head, which I supposed was by the rats. Now, they had annoyed me so often in that way, that I had lost all patience with them, and resolved to 'fix 'em.' A gun was standing by my side, and I proceeded to gently draw out a ramrod, with which to kill some of them, for, from the scratching I concluded there must be a dozen or two, at least. I succeeded in getting the rod out without alarming my visiters, and suddenly whipping it into the corner over my head, did my best to kill the whole of them. There were three other persons sleeping in the cabin. Hearing the racket, they all roused up with: ' WHE-W !! ' ' WHAT IN H-L !! ' 'OH. JE-RUSA- LEM! ! ' We all leaped into the middle of the floor, and, hastily stirring the eoals in the fire-place, raised light enough to see our friend crawling out of a hole in the unfinished gable of the eabin. He did not take the atmosphere with him. Clothing, blankets, provisions, boots and shoes, and even the very logs of the cabin, were saturated with the essence of all that is villainous. Months afterwards when the scent had become so diffused that we could no longer perceive it, I made a visit to Fiddletown (Oleta). There was a ball going on, and I stepped into the ball-room to get a glimpse, once more, of a woman's face. Several persons made the remark that somebody must have killed a skunk. I did not tell them that the skunk was not killed, but quietly retired. Somebody else got that girl."
CHAPTER XVIII.
ORGANIZATION OF AMADOR COUNTY.
Election for or Against Division, June 17, 1854-Proceedings of the Board of Commissioners-Strife for the Possession of the County Scat-The Owl-Sketches of the First Candi- dates-Courts Established-Efforts to Suppress Disorderly Houses-Amusing Procession-Election in 1854-Condition of Society.
JACKSON and Mokelumne IIill had been rival towns. When Calaveras county was organized, Double Springs became the county seat; for a short time only, however, for it was captured by a coup de main, and transferred to Jackson, where it remained for nearly two years. From that place it was trans- ferred to Mokelumne Hill, as the result of a choice, by election, of the people, called in accordance with an Act of the Legislature of 1851-2, the particulars of which will be set forth more particularly in the township histories. The politicians never rested contentedly under this change. They asserted that men on the south side of the Mokelumne river got the offices, and they went to work to convinee the people that their interests would be better served by having a new county organized. By this time (1853) there were several ambitious towns that were willing to take charge of the county seat and fur- nish grub and whisky, particularly the latter, to all who were rich enough to indulge in the luxury of going to law. It was also urged, with too much reason to be disputed, that the taxes were being wasted at Mokelumne Hill; that no money was paid into the State Treasury, more that the officers wasted the county funds on loose women. It was asserted that whenever you wished to see an official on business, you must look for him in one of the half- dozen dance-houses that ornamented and eonserved the morals of that high-toned town.
In 1853-4 the Legislature passed an Aet calling for the vote of the people in regard to a division, fixing the 17th of June following as the day, and appointing W. L. MeKimm, E. W. Gemmill, A. G. Sneath, Alexander Boileau, and Alonzo Platt as Commissioners, to organize the new county in case the people voted for a division. The bill was drawn by E. D. Sawyer, one of the Senators from Cala- veras, Charles Leake being the other Senator. The name originally given in the bill for the new county was Washington, but the name Amador was substi- tuted in the Assembly, and concurred in by the Sen- ate. The bill was read three times, and passed the same day-the motive for this hurry being expected opposition. A delegation from Mokelumne Hill had arrived to oppose the measure, but they had been wined until all ideas of eounty seats were obliterated: so a bill was hurried through before the drunk was off, lest convineing arguments should be urged against it when they returned to their senses.
The prospect of having a county seat enlisted a great many in the matter who otherwise would have been utterly indifferent. Ione was beginning
GEO C. WELLER.
C. WELLER.
MRS C.WELLER.
LITH. BRITTON & REY, S. F.
RESIDENCE OF CONRAD WELLER, JACKSON, AMADOR COUNTY, CAL.
77
ORGANIZATION OF AMADOR COUNTY.
to flourish on the sale of water-melons, vegetables, hay, and barley, to the miners; had plenty of level ground on which to build a town, and had no diffi- culty in proving that it was the proper place for dis- pensing justice and the disbursement of the peo- ples' money. Sutter Creek was growing from the development of the quartz mining, which was likely to be permanent. It claimed to be the town par excellence, having a high-toned, moral people, where no dance-houses or kindred institutions, were likely to demoralize the public officers, as at Mokelumne Hill: The latter reason was a sly thrust at Jackson, which had carly supported several of these resorts. There was also a good place for a picturesque town, the hills closing together around the place like an amphithea- ter. Volcano-well-it could not urge many rea- sons except that it wanted the benefit of a county seat. It was true that it was on the outside of the county to be created, or any possible county for that matter; it was down in a deep hole where people had to be hoisted up to get out; the roads beyond Volcano went to no place but the deep caves, or some place still deeper; the town was hot in the Summer, and muddy in the Winter, but it was growing rap- idly, had plenty of men to vote, and might get the county seat any way. So Volcano became interested. Jackson had been the county seat, and had had a taste of the profits and pleasures. It had the old jail; that might be repaired and used again, and had many reasons to urge for a new organization. Every town, too, had a set of candidates for the offices- men who were willing to sacrifice their own business for the public good.
On the south side of the river some towns con- ceived the idea that in case the county was divided, the seat of justice might be moved from Mokelumne Hill, so the interest in favor of division became general.
On the day appointed the election came off, result- ing in a majority, though a small one, for the division. But Mokelumne Hill was not to be taken that way. The law required that the returns should be trans- mitted, scaled, to the Board of Supervisors. When the returns were handed in, it was found that all from the north side of the river were opened-had been tampered with! They were consequently rejected. IIcre was a dilemma. The matter was investigated, and it was found that the returns from Mokolumne Hill had also been opened, though after- wards sealed again. Several persons, among whom was J. T. Farley, had seen the returns from Mokelumne Hill, and knew that they had been opened also. The fact was, all of them had been opened as soon as they were received, and the party in power had resolved to take advantage of their own mistakes. A deputy Clerk was induced to make out the certificates of the election, and the Board of Commissioners resolved to organize the county notwithstanding the decision of the officers. The proceedings are copied in full from a small book, the first of the records of Amador
county. The phraseology and quaint style have been preserved, believing that the original form will be most interesting. Tucker's ranch mentioned, has since been known as the T Garden, and was situated at the junction of the Sutter Creek, Ione, Jackson, and Volcano roads, and was selected both for con- venience and because it was not likely to give umbrage to any of the aspiring towns.
" Be it remembered that on the third day of July, in the year of Our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, the Board of Commissioners appointed under an Act granting to the electors of Calaveras county the privilege to vote for or against a division of said county, and to organize the county of Amador --- Approved May the Eleventh A. D. 1854. Met at the house of Martin Tucker in said county of Amador present William L. McKimm, E. W. Gemill, A. G. Sneath, Alexander Boileau and Alonzo Platt; And on motion of Alonzo Platt seconded by E. W. Gemill William L. McKimm was chosen President of the Board. And on motion of Alexander Boileau, Alonzo Platt was chosen Secretary of the Board:
" The President then called for the reading of the Law appointing the Board of Commissioners and defining their duties and the same was read by the Secretary; and having been considered by the Board, it was on motion resolved by the Board to proceed to establish Election Precincts in and for the county of Amador.
" And thereupon the Board having considered the matter and being fully advised in the premises directed the Secretary to enter the following Order on the Record:
" Ordered, By the Board of Commissioners that there shall be twenty-one Election Precincts in the county of Amador and that they shall be known and designated as follows, to-wit: Dry Town, Upper Rancheria; New York Ranch, Grass Valley, Ranch- cria, Amador, Lancha Plana, Gales Ranch, Butte City, Russell's, Volcano, Jackson, Plattsburgh, Fort John, Streeter's Ranch, Q Ranch, Ione City, Clinton, Sutter, Armstrong's Mill, White's Bar.
" And on motion the Board proceeded to consider the matter of the application for an Election Precinct at ' Whale Boat Ferry,' on the Moquelumnie River : and proof being introduced and heard, it appearing to the satisfaction of the Board that ' Whale Boat Ferry' was not two miles from Butte City, another election precinct ; It was by the Board
"Ordered, That the application for an Election Pre- cinct at ' Whale Boat Ferry' be not allowed, and the Board then proceeded to consider the matter of the appointment of Inspectors and Judges of Election in the several Election Precincts established by them; it was
"Ordered, That In Dry Town Precinct Chas. W. Fox be appointed Inspector, and J. T. King and J. D. Cross Judges of Elections.
" Upper Rancheria-Samuel Lorce, Inspector; Dr. Cartmill and Mr. Votaw, Judges.
"New York Ranch-S. Spears, Inspector; John Elkins, John Decks, Judges.
" Grass Valley-Abner P. Clough, Inspector ; J. O'Neal, G. Shoemaker, Judges.
" Rancheria-Wm. Snediker, Inspector ; S. Ncese, Andrew Onstott, Judges.
" Amador-J. M. Scott, Inspector; M. M. Glover, G. W. Taylor, Judges.
" Lancha Plana-J. W. D. Palmer, Inspector; J. Bullard, G. Wagner, Judges.
78
HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
" Gales Ranch-E. J. Martin, Inspector; William Moon, J. Albertson, Judges.
" Butte City-John Reno, Inspector; J. Northup, William Young, Judges.
" Russell's-William Foster, Inspector; Harrison Freals, D. Robinson, Judges.
" Volcano-C. B. Woodruff, Inspector; J. K. Payne, M. K. Boucher, Judges.
"Q Ranch-L. C. Patch, Inspector; A. R. Phillips, A. K. Sexton, Judges.
".Ione City-Robert Reed, Inspector; T. Rickey, J. E. Hunt, Judges.
"Clinton-F. M. Mckenzie, Inspector; Thomas Loehr, S. L. Robinson, Judges.
"Sutter -- William Loring, Inspector ; Herbert Bowers, N. Harding, Judges.
"Jackson-T. Hinkley, Inspector; E. C. Webster. Ellis Evans, Judges.
"Plattsburgh-J. A. Dunn, Inspector; F. B. Case,
A. S. Richardson, Judges.
" Fort John-P. Vaughn, Inspector; L. Schon, -- Gilbert, Judges.
" Streeter's Ranch-Wm. Porter, Inspector; Thos. Jones, Wm. Amick, Judges.
"Armstrong's Mill-John Howlett, Inspector; J. Mc Donough, Goff Moore, Judges.
" White's Bar-J. E. Weeks, Inspector; James Gregg, - Judges.
"And the Board then proceeded to consider the form of the proclamation ordering an election on the seventeenth day of July instant, for county officers and the location of the seat of justice of the county of Amador, and it was
"Ordered, That the Secretary propose a form and submit the same to the Board for their considera- tion.
" The Secretary submitted to the Board a form for an election notice with an appendix of instructions, and the Board having considered the same, it was
" Ordered, By the Board that the following form of an " Election Notice" for the county of Amador be adopted, and that the President of this Board be authorized and instructed to procure the same to be printed together with the appendix of instructions, and that he be further authorized to name one or more executive officers, and appoint them to post (in pursuance of the law) in the several election pre- cincts in this county at least ten days before said elec- tion the said election notice, to-wit:
" Election Notice Amador county .- The under- signed, a Board of Commissioners appointed to or- ganize the county of Amador under the authority and by virtue of ' An Act granting to the electors of Calaveras county the privilege to vote for or against a division of said county, and to organize the county,' Approved May 11th, A. D. 1854, do hereby order an election to be held by the qualified electors at the several precinets, hereinafter named, on Monday the seventeenth day of July instant, for the election of the following officers, to-wit: One County Judge, one County Clerk, one District Attorney, one Sheriff, one Assessor, one Treasurer, one Coroner, and one Public Administrator; and do hereby, under said law, appoint the persons whose names are placed opposite to each said precinct. And we do further order under said law, that on said day and at each of said pre- cinets, the qualified electors do also vote for a place for the location of the seat of justice of said county of Amador. The election precincts are established and the inspectors and judges of election appointed as follows:
[Here follows a list of the officers of the election, already mentioned on a former page. ]
" Given under our hands and seals at Tucker's ranch, in the county of Amador, on Monday, the third day of July, A. D. 1854.
(Signed) W. L. McKIMM, E. W. GEMMILL, A. G. SNEATII, A. BOILEAU, ALONZO PLATT.
"Appendix of Instructions: Inspectors, judges and clerks of election should be sworn by a Justice if one is present; if not, the Inspector will swear the judges and clerks, and one of the judges then swear the Inspector.
" The returns should be securely sealed with wax wafer or paste, so that the envelope cannot be removed.
" The returns may be made to either one of the Board of Commissioners, but with all the require- ments of the law in the revised statutes in relation to sending, forwarding or delivering election returns to the County Clerk with the exception of returning to one of the Board; the returns must by the law, organ- izing the County of Amador, be made within five days
" The votes for county officers and seat of justice are to be on one ballot.
"If the inspectors and judges are not present to conduct the election the voters will appoint them.
WM. L. McKIMM,
President of the Board of Commissioners. ALONZO PLATT, Secretary.
"It was
"Ordered, That the President be authorized and required to notify the inspectors and judges of their appointments. It was
" Ordered, That when this Board adjourn it ad- journ to meet at Jackson, in the County of Amador, on Saturday, the twenty-second day of July, A. D. 1854, to canvass the votes and proceed to a final dis- charge of their duties as Commissioners.
" There being no further business before the Board the motion to adjourn having been made and sec- onded, it was ordered that the Board of Commission- ers now adjourn.
(Signed) W. L. MOKIMM, E. W. GEMMILL, A. G. SNEATH, A. BOILEAU, ALONZO PLATT.
" Be it remembered that on the twenty-second day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, the Board of Commissioners appointed by law to organize the County of Amador, met in pursuance to their adjournment at Jackson in the county of Amador.
" Present-W. L. McKimm, President of the Board; A. G. Sneath, E. W. Gemmill, Alexander Boi- leau and Alonzo Platt, Secretary.
" The record of the last meeting of the Board was read and approved and signed by all the Board, and the Board proceeded to open the returns from the several precinets and draw up a statement thereof; and the said statement having been compared with said returns and read and examined was approved, and the President was ordered to file the said state- ment with the County Clerk of the County of Ama- dor.
" It was then ordered that the President and Sec- retary forward a transcript of the same certified by
79
ORGANIZATION OF AMADOR COUNTY.
them officially, to the Secretary of the State of Cali- fornia and to the Governor thereof. It was then
" Ordered, That a statement of the whole number of votes received by each person for each office, and by eaeh place for county seat, be entered on the records of this Board.
" Which statement is here entered and is as fol- lows, to-wit :--
"For County Seat: Briggs Ranch, 1 vote; Upper Rancheria, 1; Jackson City, 2; Jackson, 1002; Sutter Creek, 539; Ione Valley, 496; Voleano, 937; Dry- town, 3; Ione, 2; Fort John, 1; Amador Creek, 1; Rancheria, 1; Amador Mills, 1.
"For County Judge: James F. Hubbard, received 1354 votes; M. W. Gordon, 1484.
" For County Clerk: Chas. Boynton, received 1447 votes; James C. Shipman, 1779.
" For Sheriff: Wm. A. Phoenix received 1500 votes; James Harnett, 1410.
" For Treasurer: James T. Farley received 1384 votes; W. L. McKimm, 1522.
" District Attorney: W. W. - Cope received 1372 votes; S. B. Axtell, 1528.
"Assessor: James L. Halstead received 1345 votes; H. A. Eichelberger, 1579. " Publie Administrator: J. T. King received 1316 votes; E. B. Harris, 1569.
" Coroner: Wm. M. Sharp received 1350 votes: G. L. Lyon, 1553.
" The whole number of votes polled in said county was 3021."
The following persons were declared elected- being the first persons elected to these offices in the county of Amador :-
M. W. Gordon, Judge; William A. Phoenix, Sher- iff; James C. Shipman, County Clerk, W. S. Mc- Kimm, Treasurer; S. B. Axtell, District . Attorney; HI. A. Eichelberger, Assessor; E. B. Harris, Publie Administrator; G. S. Lyons, Coroner.
The Judges, Inspectors, and Clerks, at this elec- tion were allowed eight dollars per day for services, many of them receiving sixteen dollars each for the day and night.
It will be seen that the county seat question was one of the principal elements in the election, the results among the contestants being: For Ione, 496 votes; for Sutter Creek, 539 votes; for Voleano, 937 votes; for Jaekon, 1,002 votes.
The following table will give an idea of the eom- parative size of the several towns :-
FIRST ELECTION HELD IN AMADOR COUNTY. JULY 17, 1854. LIST OF VOTES BY PRECINCTS.
Clinton.
Butte City.
Drytown.
Sutter Creek.
Jackson.
Lancha Plana.
Volcano.
Grass Valley.
Plattsburgh.
Gale's Ranch.
New York Ranch.
Armstrong's Mill.
Russell's Diggings.
Upper Rancheria.
White's Bar.
Lower Rancheria.
Amador.
Q. Ranch.
Totals.
COUNTY SEAT.
Jackson
132
47
33
5
675
28
19
11
9
14
2
14 6
7
6
1
42
27
30
50
2
539
Ione Valley
2
31
2
11
146
9
2
82
13
16
35
6
38
24
6
1
937
COUNTY JUDGE.
103
18
58
164
234
41
369
54
18
16
29
123
6
16
18
28
7
9
30
1,354
M. W. Gordon.
47
48
40
111
445
139
281
46
5
124
25
29
4
19
19
13
47
1,484
COUNTY CLERK.
Chas. Boynton .
113
35
46
36
443
55
105
10
13
S
32
131
6
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